


Taste of Freedom

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: Adrinette April 2018 [8]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Family, Fluff and Angst, Hugdrien, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 17:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14337255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: It's Adrien's first day living with the Dupain-Chengs.





	Taste of Freedom

**Author's Note:**

> Adrinette April prompt #15 heartache
> 
> This immediately follows "Settled In," from the Hugdrien series, but will mostly make sense if read independently.

For the first time in her entire secondary school career, Marinette had no trouble getting ready for school on time. It helped that her boyfriend and superhero partner was now her roommate, and that he was definitely a morning person.  It also helped that he offered sweet rewards, like kisses and neck nuzzles, along with his nudges to keep her moving.

"Have a great morning, kids," her papa called, waving as they picked up a small bag on their way out the door.  "See you at lunch."

"Bye, Dad," Adrien replied, positively beaming.  He hadn't taken up residence with them for even 24 hours yet, and he already looked so much happier.  "Have a fantastic morning."

Marinette ignored the wide-eyed looks of their customers, many of whom were long term and knew she was an only child, and most of whom recognized him as Adrien Agreste.  She caught his hand and tugged him out of the bakery. At this rate, the gossip rags would have them married by lunch, but she didn't really care that much. His joy was infectious, and she smiled at him as they started down the sidewalk.  

"I like seeing you like this," she said.  "It  **might** even be nicer than hugging you."

His eyes narrowed slightly.  "To be clear, you aren't planning on withholding hugs just because I'm happy, right?"

"Of course not," she insisted with a laugh.  "I'd never do that to you."

"I know, and I'm grateful," he replied, going completely serious.

And she was back to wanting to suit up to plant her first in his father's face.  "Unlike the poorly-blended buttercream that you commonly call 'father,' I am not an abusive fuck."

His eyes went wide.

"I'm honestly horrified that you think it's okay or even  **necessary** to thank me for not being manipulative."  She held up a hand when it seemed like he was about to interrupt.  "Don't be sorry. It's not  **your** fault you were conditioned by a loaf of moldy supermarket bread to expect abusive treatment."  She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't realize earlier how bad it was for you."

"It's not your fault, Princess."  He leaned down and kissed her forehead.  "I didn't really realize it, either." He shrugged.  "And since we're on the subject of my  **delightful** father."

She rolled her eyes and bit back the commentary that wanted to come out.

"I'm meeting with him after school."  He pulled on her hand when his words made her freeze in the middle of an intersection.  "Not at the mansion, because I don't want to have to physically fight anyone to get back out."

"You think he'd…" she stopped herself, shaking her head.  Of course Gabriel would try to use force to keep his son under his control.  "When and where, and should I be there?"

"Right after school."  His smirk was very Chat Noir in nature.  "With two months until Final Bac, he tried to pull me out of school once he realized I'd really moved out.  Or rather, once Nathalie told him. But I'm eighteen, so Mr. Damocles contacted me to see if this was what I really wanted. With a very brief summary of the situation, he was willing to let us borrow his office."

"Wow."  She smiled.  "Score one for Mr. Owl."

"Yeah.  It's honestly the most neutral spot we could meet."  He looked down at his feet. "I think you shouldn't be there, just because that would give my father a target other than me, and the minute he blames you, I might kick his stupid teeth in."

"Oh."  She stared at him, surprised.  It was a really good reason. "Uh.  Can I wait for you in the library?"

"I'd love that, actually."

* * *

Marinette was on her feet and out of her chair the moment Adrien opened the library door.  Shoving her sketchbook into her bag, she jogged over to him before he'd gone more than three steps.  His arms were slipping around her waist, pulling her to him before any words were spoken, which was unusual for him.  Even after being assured that hugs were available anytime without a request, he tended to ask or announce his plans to hug her.  She felt a faint tremble in his hands where they rested on her back.

She pulled his head down to her shoulder, pushing her fingers into his hair.  She wanted to ask what happened, but it was obviously bad, probably even worse than he'd expected, and really, she didn't need to know right now.  

"Can we go home?" he asked, his voice small.

"Yeah."  She tightened her arms around him.  "You want to go the regular way, or the fast way."

"Fast, please," he mumbled.

She stepped back, and he let her.  She took his hand and hauled him to one of her favorite on campus places to transform.  It was even easier since school was over, and the only students they had to watch out for were staying after for clubs or studying.  In less than five minutes, they were dropping into her… their bedroom through the skylight, transforming as they hit the bed.

"What do you need?" she asked.  "You don't have to tell me what happened or even how you're feeling, just let me know what I can do to help you."

"Can we snuggle?"  

She hated hearing him so meek. She flopped onto her back and held out her arms.  "Come here Kitty. Ooph." He'd sprawled mostly on top of her, burrowing his face into her neck.  She settled herself in for a long session of comforting him, one hand on his back and the other in his hair.

After several minutes, he broke the silence.  "I don't know why I let him do this to me. I give him power he doesn't deserve over me."

"It's hard to break a pattern after several years," she said.  "Even if you can look at it and logically recognize something isn't right, emotions don't work like that."

"It makes me feel stupid," he grumbled.

"You aren't stupid, but it's okay to feel that way."  She sighed. "Should I ask what happened or would you rather not talk about it?"

"He's just such a jerk," he blurted, one of his hands finding the skin of her arm to draw random designs with his fingertips.  "He didn't think I'd actually move out."

"Not a surprise, there," Marinette said.  Gabriel's reaction after Adrien announced he was leaving, had not sounded like a man who believed his son.

"And he thought he could threaten me into going back."  He moved to rest his head on one hand, but kept his eyes on the mindless motion of his fingers.  "No bribery, and certainly no apologies. Not even empty promises that neither of us believe anymore."

"Ugh."  She couldn't quite keep it in at this point.  "How on earth did you spend the last five years raised by that separated ganache emulsion, and end up so kind and caring?"  His lips twitched briefly into a faint smile, reinforcing her use of food-based insults. She shook her head. "Do we need to do anything to prepare to deal with his threats?"

Adrien snorted.  " **He** thinks he can blackball me from modeling, cut off my income and ability to support myself, but he's going to be disappointed on that front."  He smirked. "The day before I moved, I spent a lot of time contacting other agencies and fashion houses in Paris, and it turns out Gabriel Agreste has made plenty of enemies with that charming personality of his."

"Oh my," Marinette whispered in delight.

"Enough of them are eager to poach the Agreste heir, that they aren't going to push for long term contracts with non-compete clauses, leaving me free to model what I want."  He looked pleased for a moment, then it gradually faded. "He didn't mention you, but I get the feeling this won't be the last I hear from him. I'm worried he'll try to hurt your career next."  His warm green eyes filled with tears. "And I know, rationally, that none of this is my fault, but it's like you said. And I can't help but wonder why my own father doesn't love me."

Marinette reached up to catch his tears with her thumbs.

"And the things he said…"  He took an abrupt breath. "He wants to hurt me, ruin me so I come crawling back to him.  I expected the anger, but that…" he gulped. "It was worse than even I imagined he could be capable of."

Seeing him so hurt, made her feel like crying, and she had to swallow the frog in her throat before she could speak.  "Think you'll be up for a war council tomorrow? I think you'll feel better if we have contingencies."

"War council?"  His tear-stained puzzled look was positively heartbreaking.

She nodded.  "Mama, Papa, Alya, Nino, and Chloe.  They love you too, and we're going to help you move past this so you can regularly be the happy guy you were this morning."

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to visit me over on [Tumblr](http://freedom-shamrock.tumblr.com/). If you have constructive feedback or need to discuss an aspect of this story, I've found that sort of thing tends to work better via direct messaging or asks than the comments section here.


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